Dozens pack meeting to stop escalating violence between rival groups of teens

St. Paul community leaders believe four violent attacks in recent months are connected to two rival groups of teenagers whose feud dates back to October of last year.

Monday night, 60 people filled the 8218 Truce Center on Lexington Parkway to work together toward the goal of getting the two groups to meet, call a truce, and put their guns down.

Law enforcement has confirmed that two of the four violent incidents that are connected include the shooting death of 16-year-old Antwan Watson and the stabbing death of 15-year-old Harding High School Student Devin Scott. Investigators are now piecing together evidence from two other shootings, which they believe are also connected to the deaths of Watson and Scott.

The Rev. Darryl Spence, with the GOD Squad, organized Monday night’s meeting. He told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS some of the most influential leaders in the African American community were at the meeting, and some of them are in a position to hopefully convince the two groups of teenagers to stop the violence between them.

“Oh, yeah. There are people in there that literally work in the schools that work with these kids — we’re coming. It’s about to happen. I am so overjoyed,” Spence said.

Spence said there is a sense of urgency among those who attended the meeting because they are trying to reach the teenagers before another possible round of violence happens.

“We have to ask ourselves, ‘Are the children OK?’ and the answer is ‘No,’” Spence said. “So we will have a follow-up meeting and get better organized, and then it will be time to get these kids to sit down and talk and stop shooting and stabbing each other.”